Damsel in Defiance
by ChatterChick
Summary: Emma Potter finds herself swept up in the political arena of the pure-blood nobility after meeting her grandfather, Fleamont Potter, after her first year. Meanwhile, Fleamont rallies the surviving members of his extended family to prepare for a second war.[For tagging purposes: fem!indy!Lord?Harry AU]
1. Chapter 1

Damsel in Defiance

by ChatterChick

Summary: Emma Potter finds herself swept up in the political arena of the pure-blood nobility after meeting her grandfather, Fleamont Potter, after her first year. Meanwhile, Fleamont rallies the surviving members of his extended family to prepare for a second war.[For tagging purposes: fem!indy!Lord?Harry AU]

A/N I knew I wanted to run wild with a bunch of popular tropes and try to change them into something (hopefully) fun. I had started a similar story, but deleted it and turned it into this one when I realized that I hadn't outlined much of the plot. I also wanted to try to incorporate Euphemia and Fleamont as the grandparents and flesh out the extended Potter family. So I present my take on an fem!indy!lord?Harry story. For your reading pleasure, there will be titles, pure-blood politics, marriage contracts, Hadrian Potter, questionable Dumbledore and more. And maybe somewhere along the way they take care of that pesky Voldemort problem.

xXxXx

Part I: The House of Potter

_Emma was so close to the mirror now that her nose was nearly touching her reflection._

_"__Mum?" she whispered. "Dad?"_

_They just looked at her, smiling. And slowly, Emma Potter looked into the faces of the other people in the mirror, and saw other pairs of green eyes like hers, other noses like hers, even a little old man who looked like he had Emma's knobbly knees - Emma was looking at her family for the first time in her life._

xXxXx

"Bye Emma!"

"See you, Potter!"

People called out to her as she made her way through Platform Nine and Three Quarters. It was a beautiful day in London and everyone was excited to be returning home for the summer holidays. The platform was crowded with students and their parents. Emma smiled and waved back, shouting out goodbyes to various classmates.

"Still famous?" Ron Weasley teased, grinning at her.

Ron was a lanky redhead with more freckles than she could count. They had become friends on the Hogwarts Express and were almost inseparable at Hogwarts.

"Not where I'm going, I promise you."

Emma Potter was not keen on returning to her aunt and uncle's home after an incredible first year at Hogwarts. She was going to miss the castle, the magic, the feeling of finally belonging. Most of all, she was going to miss her friends.

"Well, I will see you both this summer," Hermione Granger said. Hermione was just a few inches taller than Emma and had bushy brown hair. She was also the brightest witch in their year. Their friendship hadn't been an easy one at first, but had developed over the year as the two girls were often the odd ones out in their dormitory. Emma had been more of a tomboy and preferred spending time with the boys while Hermione was more of a bookworm and preferred spending time in the library. They clicked in a way that they didn't with their other roommates.

"Emma you're not far - my parents are happy to have you visit any time."

"Thanks," Emma said.

The prospect of visiting the Grangers and Weasleys was the only bright spot on what she was sure would be a long summer. Emma had been orphaned at the age of one when her parents had been murdered by Lord Voldemort and she had somehow survived, defeating him in the process. With no where else to go, Emma had been sent to live with her muggle aunt and uncle. Emma always knew that they resented her, but last summer she had finally learned the reason why. Aunt Petunia thought that she was a freak just like her parents and hated anything magical, including her niece. Emma was hoping that the Dursleys would ignore her like they had last August.

"And you'll both have to visit me," Ron added.

Emma gave Hermione a hug before they parted ways. Hermione was excited to see her parents, who were waiting for her beyond the barrier in the muggle area of Kings Cross. Emma had wanted to thank Mrs Weasley for the Christmas gifts and linger a little longer on the platform. She was also not in a hurry to return to her aunt and uncle any time soon. She had purposely given them a later time when she had owled them the date and time she was returning. Part of her wondered if they would even show or if she would have to find her way back to Surrey.

"Mum asked if you could see her before you left the platform," Ron explained, looking a little guilty. "There's someone she wanted you to meet."

"Who?"

"Just - trust me, alright?" was Ron's rather cryptic response. Emma had little time to think about it because soon Mrs Weasley and Ginny were waving them over. It was hard to miss them as all of the Weasleys had the same bright ginger hair. Soon she was swept up alongside Ron in a hug.

"Ron, Emma!" Mrs Weasley said. She released the pair of them and was now beaming at them "How was your first year?"

"It was fantastic," Emma said, before allowing Ron to fill his mother in on the details.

It was then that Emma realized there was an elderly man standing next to the Weasleys. He seemed familiar to Emma although she was quite certain that she had never met him before. He was a little shorter than the average wizard and had rather wild grey hair. His bushy eyebrows gave him the appearance of being permanently startled.

"Ah, you must be Emma!" The man said, his face brightening into a smile. His brown eyes crinkled and it seemed like years had been lifted from his face.

Emma couldn't help but smile back at him.

"I would recognize you anywhere you look just like - "

"My dad, but I have my mum's eyes." It was something that everyone who had known her parents had told her. She had even seen it herself when she had found the Mirror of Erised over the Christmas holidays. She had the same messy, dark hair and poor eye sight as her dad. Emma had always loved her eyes, she thought they were her best feature. Now she loved them that much more knowing that she had shared them with her mum.

The wizard paused, as if she had caught him off guard. Then he gave a hearty chuckle. "Well yes, I suppose you would hear that quite often."

"Emma, dear, I hope this doesn't come as too much of a shook, but this is - " Mrs Weasley glanced towards the wizard as if uncertain how to proceed.

"I'm Fleamont Potter," he gently explained, "I'm your grandfather."

Then she realized why he had looked so familiar. He had been the old man in the Mirror with her knobbly knees. Emma felt as if time had slowed down around them. The roar of the crowd deadened and she could only hear her pulse throbbing in her ear. Her skin felt warm and her heart was lodged somewhere in her throat.

Her mind was spinning with a race of emotions and half formed thoughts. She had no idea where to start. The most pressing question bubbling at the surface was _why hadn't she known?_ _Why hadn't he been around before? _Uncle Vernon's parents had been actively involved with Dudley until Mr Dursley died of a sudden heart attack. Mrs Dursley was in a nursing home, however the Dursley's made sure to take her to church every week and then visit her afterwards. Emma was usually left with a neighbour during these visits as she 'stressed' Uncle Vernon's mother.

She had never even considered asking what had happened to her father's family. She had believed the Dursleys when they told her that her dad had no siblings and his parents were dead. She had often dreamed of some distant relative coming to take her away; perhaps a distant cousin of her dad's. Now to learn after all this time that she had a _grandfather_ -

"Emma?" Ron nudged her, bringing her back to the present. He glared at his mother. "I warned you that we shouldn't spring this on her!"

"She deserved to know the truth, there was no gentle way to do this. It wasn't right, keeping her from the Potters - "

"Keeping me?" Emma faintly echoed.

"Perhaps, this isn't the best place to discuss this. Ginny, can you wait with Percy? Help him find Fred and George."

There was a bit of protest that she wanted to _stay_, but Mrs Weasley managed to send Ginny off with her brother. Mrs Weasley then made a silent loop with her wand and the sounds of the crowd died down.

"There, that should give us a little more privacy."

"After your parents were killed, you seemingly vanished into the night. The last person to see you was Sirius Black, but he had sustained some spell damage and his memory of the night was foggy."

Fleamont paused, as if uncertain how to explain the next bit.

"Professor Dumbledore had hidden you away in the muggle world, for your protection, as he told me. I'll spare you my excuses, but I did search for you with no success. I took small comfort in knowing that if your own grandfather couldn't find you, well, then You Know Who's followers couldn't either. No one even knew that Lily had a sister until Hagrid let it slip that he delivered your Hogwarts letter last summer. It was as if our world had collectively forgotten. I had hoped that once you went to Hogwarts it would be easier to meet, however it seems that your owl post is ah - heavily monitored." Fleamont then looked apologetic. "I was hoping to find you before you disappeared back into the muggle world for your summer holidays. Molly was kind enough to make the introduction as she had already met you. I would like to meet your guardians, see if they would be agreeable with me taking you for a few hours or visiting for a few days over the holidays."

It was a lot to take in. Emma felt as if her entire world had been flipped upside down. She realized everyone around her was waiting for her to speak.

"Can't see them having a problem with that."

She was quite certain that this was going to be a shock for the Dursleys. This might be the day that Uncle Vernon finally had a stroke. While the Dursleys had a lot of faults, Emma doubted that they would have kept this from her. She suspected that had they known she had a grandfather, they would have shipped her off to him years ago.

"We should probably go find them," Fleamont said. "I wouldn't want them to worry."

Emma refrained from making a comment that the Dursleys never worried about her. Adults always gave her worrying looks when she spoke of them. A primary teacher had once called a meeting with her aunt over it. Aunt Petunia made a big production about how much she loved her niece and how Emma struggled with abandonment issues due to the deaths of her parents. Then when she returned home, Emma was locked in her cupboard for the weekend as punishment for telling stories.

"Send an owl," Ron urged her. "Let me know how everything goes. We'll have you over to visit soon."

Emma gave her best friend a small smile. "I'll owl as soon as I can."

Mrs Weasley gave her a tight hug. "I think this will be good for both of you. We're only a floo call away if you need anything."

Emma waved goodbye to the Weasleys before leading Fleamont over to meet the Dursleys. They crossed the barrier into the muggle section of Kings Cross. She could see her aunt and uncle off to the side. Dudley was standing behind them, looking nervous and clutching his bottom. Emma wondered if they had been successful with getting the pig tail removed from when Hagrid had hexed him.

"Ready, girl?" Vernon barked. He spared a moment to look warily look at Fleamont. "And who is this?"

"Allow me to introduce myself, I'm Fleamont Potter," Fleamont extended a hand. "Although you're welcome to call me Monty. I'm Emma's grandfather."

"_Grandfather_?" Vernon growled. He was starring at Monty's hand as if he didn't quite know what to do with it. "And just where have you been for the past decade? Leaving the girl to her hard working relatives, just like her lazy, no good father - "

"Vernon, you're making a scene!" Petunia hissed at him. Her eyes glanced around the station, although no one seemed to be paying them any attention.

Monty responded in a flat, even tone. "My son was murdered, as you very well know. It was not a choice to leave his daughter with you. Then you went along with Dumbledore's plot to kidnap my granddaughter. Her guardianship should have been handled by the ministry in the world to which she was born, not a headmaster at a school."

"Kidnap?" Petunia said. She had gotten paler as Monty spoke. "Emma was left on our doorstep with a note, her parents were dead and Dumbledore said that we were her only living relatives. She was my niece, so we took her in."

Vernon looked like he had more to add, but shut his mouth at the look Petunia was giving him. His face was still purple in colour and he was grinding his teeth so loudly that Emma could hear them. It was always fun watching Vernon hold his temper while in public.

"Dumbledore was not entirely honest with any of us," Monty tiredly said. "I have, regrettably, missed out on over a decade of my granddaughter's life. I was hoping to spend some time with Emma this summer."

Petunia pursed her lips. She glanced at Emma. "Is this what you want?"

Emma quickly nodded her head. So it was decided that Emma would be allowed to visit her grandfather for the weekend. Petunia had asked that they be back Monday afternoon. With that, the Dursleys left the platform, Vernon grumbling that he had wasted his time coming to London that day.

Monty released her snowy owl, Hedwig, from her cage. "Would you be able to meet us at Crochenwraith?"

Hedwig gave him a look that could only mean _obviously _before taking off. A few muggles gasped as she took flight, startled that an owl suddenly appeared in King's Cross. Monty then shrunk her trunk and tucked it into the inner pocket of his robes.

"Have you had lunch?" he asked.

"I ate something from the trolley," Emma said.

"It's been a few years since I was a Hogwarts student, but I believe the trolley only has sweets. Have you ever been to the Leaky Cauldron?"

"Once, with Hagrid. I liked it."

"Wonderful, let's head there."

Emma followed Monty towards the Underground. From the little that Emma had learned about her parents, she knew that her dad's family were pure-bloods. Monty seemed to be able to get around muggle London well enough. He didn't question muggle money and seemed to be able to maneuver his way through the Underground like the crowds of people around him. If he was uncertain about the muggle world, he was better at hiding it than Hagrid.

"Molly told me that you were a Gryffindor?"

"Yes," Emma said. "My parents were also Gryffindors?"

"Yes, as was I." Monty grinned at her. "Fortune favours the bold, who find their home among the red and gold. Effie was a Ravenclaw, though. "

"Effie?"

"Euphemia - your grandmother."

"Will I be meeting her too?" Emma asked.

"Unfortunately, no. Effie passed away several years ago. Fire Flu." Monty closed his eyes, seemingly lost in thought. "She loved you very much. I have letters that she wrote for you in my study."

Their stop was announced and that put an end to their conversation as Emma followed Monty up to the street. It wasn't long until they reached The Leaky Cauldron. For an older wizard, he certainly moved quickly. Emma had to scurry behind him to keep up.

"Monty! It is good to see you. And who is this young lady?"

"Hello Tom," Monty grinned at the grizzly old bartender. He seemed excited to make the introduction. "This would be my granddaughter, Emma. Just picked her up from the Hogwarts Express. I don't suppose you have a private table for us?"

"Ah, Miss Emma. I remember Hagrid taking you here last summer. I hope you had a good first year."

Tom lead them towards a booth in the back corner of the pub.

"Er - so what do I call you?"

She thought it would be too odd to call him Mr Potter as he was family, but it seemed impolite to call him Fleamont or Monty.

Monty's bushy eyebrows went up and he looked as unsure as Emma. "Well, I suppose whatever you feel more comfortable with. Most people call me Monty, but when you were a baby I was Granddad."

Emma nodded, still unsure herself.

Monty did the same silent loop as Mrs Weasley and the hush of the pub disappeared. There was a few minutes as they both silently read over the menu. Emma eventually ordered the fish and chips at Monty's recommendation.

"I'm sure you must have a lot of questions for me."

"Do I have any other living family members?" Emma asked. She supposed it was best not to have any more family members surprise her. "Any aunts or uncles or cousins?"

"I'm not sure what you have been told about your parents. James was an only child. His best friend, Sirius, is your godfather. He would be the closest you'd have to an uncle. I've always considered him like a second son. He's quite eager to meet you, I had to remind him that we shouldn't all show up at the Platform today or you might faint from shock! My brother and sister both had children, so there is a bit of an extended family on the Potter side. My niece, Miranda, has three children close to your age. I believe her daughter, Susan, started Hogwarts this year."

"Susan Bones?"

"Yes, have you met her?"

"A few times." As they were in different houses, Emma didn't interact much with her or the Hufflepuffs, however had seen her in the library and between classes enough to know who she was. "She's nice."

"Wonderful. Perhaps you'll get to know her better this summer. I understand you're friends with the Weasleys' youngest son?"

"Ron, he's one of my best friends along with Hermione Granger."

Never had an adult taken such an interest in Emma's life before. It was a little strange at first, but Emma relaxed more as she filled in her grandfather - a word that still sounded strange to her - on her first year at Hogwarts. She left out the parts about the Philosopher's Stone as she felt that might be a conversation for another time. She did fill him in on the troll that she and Ron saved Hermione from and how she became the youngest seeker at Hogwarts.

Monty was most eager about their shared interest in Quidditch. "Do you have a favourite team? I'm quite partial to the Caerphilly Catapults."

"Ron supports the Cannons. I don't know any other than that."

"The Cannons are not the best in the league, but they have the most loyal fanbase. We'll have to find you a favourite team this summer then."

Their lunch had come and gone and still they remained at the table.

"I suppose we should get going. We could take the floo to my home."

"Floo?"

Monty explained travelling by floo network as he paid their bill and lead them towards the Leary's fireplace. He opened a small pouch of green powder.

"Crochenwraith." Monty's carefully pronounced for her. "Best practice it a few times so that you don't get off at the wrong gate. I live a little ways outside of Cardiff."

Once Emma was able to say Crochenwraith to Monty's satisfaction, she tossed a handful of the green powder into the fireplace and stepped into it. She barely remembered to tuck her arms and legs together as she she found herself zipping along the floo network. She was quickly spat out of a fireplace. Emma coughed, clearing her throat of the powder and soot. That was definitely her least favourite way of travelling.

She climbed out of the fireplace, gazing around at the room she was in. It was a fairly large room, but it looked cozy. It reminded her a little of Gryffindor common room. The exposed walls were made out of stone. However most were covered by tapestries and portraits. The back wall was curved and upon a closer look, Emma realized that it was contained a staircase that spiralled upwards along the perimeter of the room. Glancing up it, Emma realized she must be in some sort of tower. There were two maroon couches that surrounded the fireplace. On the ledge of the fireplace, Emma could see the wedding photo of her parents and a single baby photo. She realized that it must be her.

Around her she could hear the whispers of the portraits.

"Is that her?"

"She looks just like James, doesn't she?"

Monty stepped out behind her. "Good, you found your way. I was worried you might have gotten lost. Welcome to Crochenwraith."

"This is incredible. Is it a castle?"

"Technically, yes. This is the drawing room at the base of the tower. I used to spend a great deal of time in here, back when Effie and James were alive." The enthusiasm was tinged with sadness as Monty gestured around. "These days I spend most of my time in my study or in the dungeons. I'm a potioneer, so that's where I have my lab set up. I can give you the tour."

Monty showed her the kitchens and great hall, which were in a long two story building attached to the tower. He explained that this was the building that had once been used to entertain company while the tower contained the private family chambers. Perhaps it had been grand at one point, but it felt empty and cold compared to the room she had just been in. The two long tables were covered up by sheets and the fireplace was unlit. There were large windows that ran the length of the room, but despite the sunlight, it still looked dim. Near the back of the room were two doors hidden by a pair of portraits. One of them lead back into the tower, however Monty showed her through the second one into the kitchens. The kitchens were much more inviting. The walls were white washed and the large windows filled it with light. Small jars with herbs spurting in water lined the windowsill and pots and pans were hung up on the walls. The kitchen lacked any of the technological amenities of a muggle kitchen. In fact, Emma felt like she has been transported back in time. There was a table and some chairs set up and Monty mentioned that he usually took his meals in here.

From the outside, the castle appeared to be very small. It was just the great hall with the tower attached to it. Monty explained that it had been built by muggles as a defensive keep and then later abandoned. The stones were covered by ivy that had crept its way up over the building. The grounds were enclosed by a stone wall, however Emma could see three golden hoops just beyond the property. Monty showed her the greenhouse where he grew his potions ingredients along with her grandmother's gardens.

Monty lead her back inside the tower. This time climbing the staircase that spiralled around it. From the inside, it seemed much than the outside suggested. Emma had her suspicions that the place was magically enlarged, especially as the tower looked to be several stories high with each floor being its own room. Monty's room was on the top floor while his study was on the second.

"The Potters are able to trace our ancestry back to Linfred of Stinchcombe, not that he ever lived here. The Potters were a common family back then who made their fortune through potions. This castle actually belonged to my grandmother's family, the Fleamonts. They were a noble wizarding family who are now extinct through the male line. My grandmother was the last of them and asked my father to continue the name. I suspect she meant the surname, but that's how I ended up with my rather unfortunate first name. Let me tell you though, carrying a name such as Fleamont makes you quite the dueller in the schoolyard - ah, here we are."

Monty stopped on the landing for the third floor. He opened the door and showed her inside.

"This is your room, for whenever you want to visit," Monty said. He leaned against the doorway. "I'm afraid I'm not sure how witches your age decorate. Effie decorated it when you were a baby - purple was a nice neutral colour, no house affiliation. I didn't think to change it."

Emma could tell that the room had been designed with a younger girl in mind. Still, she was touched that she had a room in her grandfather's home. The walls were white washed and made the room much brighter. The purple bedspread had white swirls on it and there was a few plush animals on top of it including a pink unicorn, lime green and purple dog and a baby deer. There was a large window over looking the gardens that had blankets and pillows seated on it. Off to one side was a bookshelf filled with some children's books along with an empty desk.

Throughout the day she had been getting a feel for the childhood that had been taken from her. She silently mourned that childhood. Her childhood with her parents had been stolen from her by a dark wizard who had murdered her parents. Her childhood with her grandparents had been stolen by a kind wizard who had always seem to have her best interests at heart.

_Why? Why did Dumbledore think I was better off with the Dursleys?_

"It's brilliant, thank you."

"You are welcome to decorate it of course, we could make a trip to Diagon Alley." Monty took her trunk out of his pocket and undid the charm so that it returned to its full size. He then put it at the end of her bed. "I should let you get settled, I imagine it's been a hectic day with leaving Hogwarts and then having all of this sprung at you. There is a washroom that is attached to your room. The castle is yours to explore."

Monty paused as if he had another thought.

"I don't suppose you've ever met a house-elf?"

"A what?"

"They tend to hid at Hogwarts, but they do all the cooking and cleaning. Kappa, come introduce yourself."

There was a crack and a little creature appeared in front of her. Emma tried not to shout. The creature had bat-like ears and large, blue eyes the size of tennis balls. He had an off-white dish towel fashioned around himself like a toga.

"Kappa is happy to meet the little Miss Emma," he said in a high pitched voice. He was nearly bouncing on the balls of his feet. "It has been a very long time since the little Miss has come to visit. Kappa has kept her room spotless. Not a speck of dust!"

Monty chuckled. "Kappa is also around if you need anything."

"Oh yes, Kappa is most helpful." His ears drooped and his voice went to a stage whisper. "Mr Monty may be a great wizard who knows many potions, but he does not know how to cook. _And_ he would lose all of his socks without his Kappa."

It was only once Emma was left alone in the room that she had time to really process the entire afternoon.

She was still an orphan, but she was not quite as alone as she had been lead to believe.

With a pang, Emma realized that Dumbledore had known that she had seen her family in the Mirror of Erised and still said nothing of it. It had also been implied that her mail at Hogwarts was being monitored or blocked. _But why? _Why would a headmaster interfere with her guardianship like that? Why did it matter to him that she lived with the Dursleys rather than the Potters?

Emma had really only talked to the headmaster a handful of times since arriving at Hogwarts. He had always been kind to her, giving her guidance and seeming to care. She tried to remember the few conversations she had with him.

_"Your mother died to save you. If there is one thing Voldemort cannot understand, it is love. He didn't realize that love as powerful as your mother's for you leaves its own mark. Not a scar, no visible sign... to have been loved so deeply, even though the person who loved us is gone, will give us some protection forever. It is in your very skin."_

Perhaps there was an answer in her mother's sacrifice.


	2. Chapter 2

Emma was woken up by the rising sun.

It was an unusual feeling. For years she had slept in the cupboard under the stairs in total darkness. Then while the Gryffindor dormitories were in a tower, they were in Scotland which was often overcast and dreary.

Emma was disoriented as she stirred. Then suddenly, she remembered the events of the previous day. Emma glanced around her surroundings. She was still in the same room as the night before. Only now it was filled with the soft glow of the sun. She sunk back into the pillows, smiling to herself.

Emma used the shower in the bathroom connected to her room. It had been stocked with all sorts of tiny vials that, upon further investigation, Emma discovered were different shampoos, conditioners, soaps and lotions. It was pure bliss being able to use the shower for as long as she pleased, not having to worry about sharing with the Dursleys or her dormmates.

Afterwards, she found a clean pair of jeans and simple red and white stripped shirt in her trunk. Throughout her childhood, Aunt Petunia had forced her to wear these awful, frilly dresses in pastel colours. She would scold Emma for not being ladylike and trying to play football with the boys. That had only encouraged Emma more and was perhaps why she had turned out the way she had. Emma had managed to finally pick out her own clothing this year and had been excited to add a variety of trousers to her wardrobe. Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown had owl order catalogs and helped Emma find casual wear that suited her a little more. Lavender had been excited at the prospect of giving someone a makeover. Not that Emma wanted anything too extreme.

Emma tied her messy hair back, letting a few stubborn wisps frame her face. She found that tying her hair back was the only way to control it. She fidgeted with the black fringe that she used to hide the infamous lightning bolt scar.

She smiled uncertainly at the image starring back at her from the mirror. Her green eyes peered back at her from behind her black, rectangular glasses.

_Lavender did a good job_, Emma thought, not for the first time. _I actually look like me._

Having control over her appearance had done wonders for Emma's self esteem the past year. Perhaps she wasn't the prettiest witch in her year, but she was starting to feel comfortable in her own skin.

Hedwig seemed to have arrived sometime during the night. Emma spotted her dozing on a perch in front of the window. Next to her was a great grey owl who looked like he had seen better days. Emma gently smoothed over some of his ruffled feathers and he woke owl starred at her with his beady eye and puffed out his chest. He then stuck out his leg.

Emma unrolled a letter and realized it was from Ron.

_Emma,_

_I'm sorry I didn't tell you about your grandfather before the platform. Mum didn't tell me who you were meeting, just that it was someone related to your dad. I thought it was a second cousin or something. Aunt Muriel is always finding some old forgotten relative or another for tea and I'm sure Mum told her we're friends by now. He's got to be loads better than the Dursleys though?_

_The Burrow is the same as always. Fred and George are locked up in their room making things explode. Ginny won't stop asking questions about you. I reckon she either has a crush on your or wants to be you. Dad's been tinkering with this muggle car in his shed to make it fly. I'm hoping he'll let me fly it around the village._

_Ron_

_PS Mum sends 'love' and says to visit anytime. _

Emma wrote a quick response back to Ron that things with her grandfather was going well and that she was staying with him for the weekend. She mostly wanted to reassure him that she was fine. Ron had become protective of her since they first meet on the Hogwarts Express. Whether it was making sure she had company over the Christmas holidays or backing her up when Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson started a fight. He had even sacrificed himself in a chess match so that she and Hermione could save the Philosopher's Stone. She knew that Ron had disliked the Dursley's treatment of her and suspected that he may have orchestrated some of the events that lead to Monty waiting for her at the platform with the Weasleys. Emma knew that he had been needling his parents for weeks about having Emma stay the entire summer. She had told him it wasn't necessary, that she would be fine at the Dursleys. Ron seemed just as sullen as she about it.

She then wrote a longer letter to Hermione as she knew Hermione would have a million questions and concerns. She also hoped that Hermione might provide some better insight into the situation as Emma was feeling a little overwhelmed.

Hermione and Emma's friendship started at the beginning mostly because they were the odd ones out in their dorm. Parvati and Lavender quickly became best friends while Tamsin Moon and Faye Dunbar got along well. Emma preferred the company of Ron and the other first year boys in Gryffindor. That left Hermione Granger, who was well meaning, but could be a bit brash and struggled to make friends in their year. It was a friendship that suffered outside of their dormitory as Ron and Hermione were often at each others throats. Things had settled down once Emma and Ron rescued Hermione from a troll. Ron had said some unkind things about Hermione, who had overheard and ran crying into the washrooms. Emma had gone to talk to her when Ron learned that there was a troll in the dungeons - and had come running to warn the two girls. He had later apologized to Hermione. Their friendship was cemented after that.

Emma smiled as she thought of her two best friends. Perhaps she would be able to invite them to Crochenwraith to meet her grandfather. She would have to sort out with the Dursleys what she was doing for the rest of the summer. Emma couldn't imagine that they would turn down the opportunity to be rid of her for good. She hoped that Monty wanted her to stay for the summer. That seemed to be his intentions, although he hadn't mentioned anything past Monday.

"Here girl, I have a delivery for you. Hermione lives in London. Can you find her?"

Hedwig affectionately nipped her fingers before taking off with the letters. It was rare that Emma had a delivery for her, aside from Hagrid, and Hedwig seemed keen to prove herself. She then sent the Weasley's owl off with her letter to Ron after giving him some water and food.

Emma flinched as there was a loud crack. Kappa appeared in her bedroom. Living in a magical home was going to take some getting used to.

"Good morning Miss Emma!" Kappa cheerfully greeted her. "Breakfast and Mr Monty is waiting for you in the kitchen."

Kappa looked at the bed that Emma had carefully made that morning. There was a slight frown on his face, and he snapped his fingers. The covers pulled and tightened and Kappa smiled in satisfaction.

She followed the elf down the spiralling staircase and then into the kitchen. Monty was seated at the small table with a pair of empty seats next to him as if he had been waiting for her. Food was laid out on the table on self heating plates, along with a teapot and a pitcher of pumpkin juice.

"Kappa wasn't sure what you liked to eat so he did the full monty as I call it - a little bit of everything," Monty said with a wink.

"Everything looks good," Emma said. "I'm not fussy."

She put some toast, eggs and sausage on her plate. She then poured some pumpkin juice into her glass. They made small talk as they ate their breakfast. Monty asked Emma about her favourite subjects and in turn, told her about his work.

"I took over the family business from my grandfather, the Potter Potions Company. It was really just Effie and I running it for the past few decades. My brother, Charlus was never interested. We agreed that he would manage the politics and I would manage the business. And my sister, Maribel, well, she couldn't tell one end of a cauldron from the other. She loved magical creatures though, was working on the Welsh Dragon Sanctuary before she died. Unrelated of course - " Monty trailed off as if lost in thought. His eyes looked sad. "Maribel was murdered during the last war with her husband and daughter."

"I'm sorry," Emma automatically said. It was the same line she heard every time someone found out her parents were dead. She hated that line but still found herself using it because what else was there to say?

"What was I talking about again?" Monty asked, as if trying to divert the topic.

"Potions."

"Potions, yes. I supply a number for Greengrass Apothecaries - that was Effie's father's business. Her nephew, Hector, is running it these days. I've also invented a few over the years. Sleekeazy's is my most well known, especially among witches your age."

At Emma's uncertain look, Monty explained further.

"Two drops tame even the most wildest of hair. I would know. I haven't given out my instructions though, those are top secret. I intend for you to inherit the my business one day, although I would understand if you sell the instructions to Sleekeazy's. It's rather time consuming brewing it every week and not everyone enjoys the task. James didn't have the skill for it, but Lily, I had hopes that Lily might take over."

"I didn't know my mum was good at potions." Flitwick had gushed over Lily's skill with charms when he had first met Emma. Of course, Professor Snape didn't seem like the type to _gush_ over her mother. He had spent the year criticizing Emma's father and complaining how she was just as arrogant and bullheaded as him. Regardless of her efforts, she never seemed to do well anyway. So she had gotten worse as the year went on, spending even less time and energy doing the readings and assignments.

"Oh yes, Lily was brilliant with potions. She had such intuition about it - it was like watching an artist! She was one of Professor Slughorn's favourites. She was doing a mastery after Hogwarts - she wanted to take over for Professor Slughorn when he retired."

Instead they got Snape. Life was really full of injustices.

"Perhaps you can teach me," Emma softly said. "I didn't do so well last term."

Monty lit up at the prospect.

There was some moments of silence as the pair ate their breakfast. Monty was also going through the stack of owl post he had received throughout the morning. He admitted that the family knew he was collecting Emma the day before and was checking to see if things went well. They were soon interrupted by a third person.

"Good morning, Monty."

"Ah, Sirius." Monty chuckled. "I should have known you wouldn't stay away for long."

Sirius Black was handsome. That was Emma's immediate thought. He had dark, shoulder length hair that had a bit of a wave to it and striking grey eyes. He also brought a large amount of energy into the room. There was a bounce to his step and a jubilant smile on his face.

"There's my goddaughter." There was an incredible amount of warmth and affection in his voice. Emma smiled at him.

"Hello."

Sirius sat across from her at the table. Kappa appeared to set the spot for him before disappearing again.

"I'm Sirius," he said. His voice sounded emotional and sincere as he spoke. "Your father was - he was my best friend at Hogwarts and he made me your godfather when you were born. I'm sorry I wasn't around, but I want to make that up to you now and be the godfather I promised I would be."

"It's okay, I was told everything yesterday."

Emma was still bothered by the fact that she had had a family that had been kept hidden from her. Even once she was at Hogwarts and knew about the wizarding world. It was something that she had come to realize that only Dumbledore could explain. She hoped she had answers soon. Until then, there was no point losing any more time with her family.

"Good, that's - that's good. So, what's the plans for today?" Sirius asked, glancing between Monty and Emma. He started filling up his plate with eggs, bacon, sausage and toast. He then poured himself a cup of tea. "I've cleared my schedule for the weekend. Rufus knows not to send for me for anything less than a dark mark appearing over London. I am all yours. We could catch a game, see who's playing today. Arthur says you play Quidditch with his sons, youngest seeker in a century!"

Monty shook his head. "Sirius, slow down before you choke on your food. We haven't decided anything yet."

That didn't curb Sirius' enthusiasm. He and Monty debated back and forth what to do with the weekend ahead of them, prompting Emma to add her input as well. Emma really didn't have any opinions, she was happy just to spend time with the pair of them. She also didn't know much of the wizarding world outside of Hogwarts and Diagon Alley.

"I was thinking we could invite the family over tomorrow night for a dinner. Introduce Emma to everyone. Then I'm supposed to bring her back to her aunt's on Monday - "

"Are you kidding me?" Sirius said. It was as if Monty had flipped a switch. Sirius seemed angry at the thought that Emma had to go back to the Dursleys.

"She's not going back there. That's not what James and Lily wanted. She should have been raised by you, or me, or Miranda or the Longbottoms- they had a list of guardians. Petunia Dursley was so far down that list that she didn't exist." Sirius folded his arms and starred defiantly at Monty. "Dumbledore had no right to put her there."

"Sirius, don't be hasty," Monty said. "We can't just take her from her aunt's, that's her home, she could be happy there."

"Of course she's not happy there! You heard what Calvin said."

"Who's Calvin?" Emma interrupted.

"Miranda and Calvin Bones," supplied Monty. "Susan's parents. Calvin is friends with Arthur Weasley, Ron's father. The Weasleys had some concerns about your guardians, there were some things in Ron's letters that didn't seem right. Arthur knew that Miranda was related to the Potters. Miranda introduced me to Molly."

Emma nodded, feeling a little embarrassed that such a big deal had been made about her home life. She didn't think she had told Ron anything too bad about the Dursleys and had made sure to leave out how she used to sleep in the cupboard.

"I had wanted to give you a chance to know me before making any decisions about spending the summer here. If given a choice, would you want to return to the Dursleys?"

"No," Emma quickly said.

Sirius seemed to give Monty a look, as if she had proved his point.

"Well then, the matter's settled. We'll see what Petunia wants to discuss on Monday and then you'll be staying here for the summer."

Sirius seemed calmer now that he knew Emma was staying with Monty for the summer. "And if staying with this stuffy old coot is too boring, there's a guest room at Ruffy Ends that could have your name on it."

"Ruffy Ends?"

"My home in Cornwall," Sirius explained. "Rhea sends her love to you both, by the way. She had a healer's appointment this morning otherwise she would have come."

"Who-?" There had been so many names dropped over the past two days that Emma was having a hard time keeping track.

"Sirius' wife," Monty explained at Emma's confusion. "I hope everything's all right?"

"Rhea's pregnant," Sirius explained, more for Emma's benefit. "Everything's fine, she just has a little checkup."

"Oh, is this your first child?" Emma politely asked.

"Second," Sirius brightened. "Our first was Leo, he's with Rhea today. I'm hoping for a brother for Leo, but Rhea wants a girl this time. I think she wants someone to do girl things with. She's always taking her nieces out and wants to be able to do that with a daughter. In fact, she may kidnap you for a 'girls' day'."

Emma was unsure how she felt about that. She had never been particularly girly, but didn't want to object. She was curious to meet this Rhea Black though, especially if she would be spending more time with Sirius and his family.

"Rhea was your father's cousin, on Effie's side of the family," Monty said.

"Your grandmother was the one who introduced us. She thought I needed to meet a 'nice young witch' and 'settle down'", Sirius explained, with a playful roll of his eyes.

Monty looked smug as he replied. "Well, it worked."

"How many cousins did my dad have?" Emma asked. Emma didn't have a good relationship with her cousin, Dudley, growing up. He taunted her at every opportunity. The few times he had tried to get rough an adult would usually intervene. Even Uncle Vernon disapproved saying that it wouldn't look right for a boy to hit a girl. It seemed that her father's cousins were on good terms with her grandfather as he spoke about them often.

"Six," Monty said before listing everyone off. "My brother, Charlus, had one son with his wife, Dorea Black. His name is Hadrian. He married a witch named Nephele and they have two children. Then my sister Maribel married Owen McKinnon and they had three children. There was Miranda, Marlene and Myron. Miranda, of course, married Calvin Bones. Myron prefers the bachelor lifestyle. Effie was a Greengrass before she married me. Her brother, Perseus, had two children, Hector and Rhea. Hector married - Contessina? I think that was her name. She was from one of the noble Italian families. They have three children as well. I believe one of the girls is the same age as you."

"That would be Daphne," Sirius said. "Nice girl, although Rhea's worried that she got mixed in with a bad crowd at Hogwarts."

He seemed to look at Emma for her opinion on the matter. Daphne Greengrass was one of the girls in Pansy Parkinson's little gang. Bad crowd was an understatement. Parkinson was the meanest witch in their year. She had nothing nice to say about anyone and would hit you with nasty little jinxes when you walked by her in the corridors. Emma remembered everyone in Slytherin laughing at her when Parkinson got her with a jinx that lifted up her skirt. Daphne had even gotten in a jab.

_"__Nice knickers Potter! My grandmother wears the same ones!"_

"She's friends with Pansy Parkinson." Emma decided that that was saying enough. Sirius nodded as if that confirmed something to him.

"Well, perhaps that will change."

He quickly changed the topic back to their plans for the day. It was decided after breakfast that the three of them would take in a Quidditch game. Emma was excited to see a professional game. The Wimborne Wasps played against the Holyhead Harpies nearby. While she watched the all-female team trounce the Wasps, Emma decided she knew who her favourite Quidditch team would be. Emma even caught herself fantasizing about playing for them one day.

Sirius and Emma went out for ice cream together after the game. Monty seemed to have forgotten something he needed to do at home, but Emma suspected he wanted to give the pair of them some time together. As the day went out, she found that Sirius very easy to talk to. He was what she imagined an older brother or uncle to be like.

"Your dad was also a Harpies fan," Sirius said.

They meandered down the busy street towards the ice cream parlour. Sirius had apparated the pair of them to Diagon Alley - a mode of transportation that had left Emma a little dizzy, but was infinitely better than the floo network.

"Really?" Emma asked.

"Yes, he had posters of them all over our dormitory."

Sirius went quiet when Emma started asking why her dad liked the Harpies so much and abruptly changed the topic to her Quidditch career. After Emma explained the circumstances that lead to her having a spot on the Gryffindor team - something that gave Sirius a great amount of glee - Emma recounted her matches against Slytherin and Hufflepuff.

"Ravenclaw should have been easy after that, they were never much of a team. Preferred reading about Quidditch plays rather than trying them - "

"Oh, I didn't play against Ravenclaw since I was - " Emma quickly shut her mouth.

She had been in the hospital wing after trying to save the Philosopher's Stone from Voldemort. A topic that she was not keen on sharing with her recently discovered grandfather or godfather. While the Dursleys didn't really care if Emma was injured, Monty and Sirius both seemed to care for her well being and she didn't want to worry them with something that had happened in the past. She knew Ron and Hermione were not planning on telling their parents either. Ron because his parents would be angry and Hermione because her parents wouldn't understand.

"I was unable to play that game."

"Quidditch players generally only miss games if they're injured or in trouble," Sirius lightly said. "So was this before or after the incident with Fluffy?"

"You know about that?" Emma gasped. She had been completely caught off guard.

"I work for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement as an Auror," Sirius said. "I know a little more than you think."

"It was after," Emma confessed. "I was in the hospital wing and missed the last game."

Sirius gestured for her to sit down on the bench next to him. They were just outside of Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour now.

"Emma, I know you don't trust adults. I didn't either at your age so I get where you're coming from. I suspect the adults in your life have failed a lot and you learned to handle things on your own." Sirius seemed contemplative, as if trying to find the right words to say."But you're never going to get in trouble for telling Monty or I the truth about what you've been up to at Hogwarts. We love you, and it's our responsibility to make sure you're safe. So if you counter another troll or Cerberus or Voldemort or anything dangerous, you owl me and I will handle it. Or you find Professor McGonagall and she will handle it. Deal?"

Emma felt the corner of her eyes sting. She fought back the feeling that she was going to start crying here in Diagon Alley in front of Sirius. It was just that, no one had ever told her they loved her before.

"Deal. What's a Cerberus?"

"The three headed dog," Sirius said, shaking his head. "_Fluffy_. Just, stay away from anything Hagrid would keep as a house pet."

Emma glanced at him from the corner of her eye. A sly smile broke out before she could help herself. "So, did you want to hear about the time Hagrid had a baby dragon?"

Sirius let out a bark like laugh.


	3. Chapter 3

"She _didn't_!" Sirius howled with laughter.

Emma grinned at her godfather. The pair were making their way up the winding path to Crochenwraith. After finishing their ice cream, they had done a bit of window shopping in Diagon Alley. Emma picked up a few items to personalize her room. She had never had her own space before and looked forward to putting up a few Holyhead Harpies posters as well as a Gryffindor flag. Sirius had generously gifted her a full set of Quidditch balls - two bludgers, a quafffle and a snitch - so that she could practice over the summer. Emma had protested at the time, however he insisted and said it was a start for missing several birthdays and Christmases. The pair swapped stories from their respective first year throughout the afternoon. Sirius promised to share year by year so she had to wait until she finished second year to hear more.

"Honest to God truth," Emma told him. She grinned herself at the memory. "Hermione thought Professor Snape was jinxing my broom so she set his robes on fire. Turns out it was Professor Quirrell, but we were convinced Snape was going to murder me half the year. You should have seen the way he looked at me - he absolutely _loathed_ me from day one. I guess he didn't like my dad."

"That would be an understatement."

There was a glint in Sirius' eyes as if there was more to tell. It occurred to Emma that perhaps Sirius knew more about the animosity between her dad and Professor Snape.

"I suppose you would have been at school with him too. Professor Dumbledore said that he owed my dad a life debt because he saved his life so that's why he tried to save mine."

Sirius tilted his head to consider her for a moment. "I suppose he felt he owed it to James. I will admit though, the only reason that Snape needed saving in the first place was because I did a very reckless and stupid thing. I would have been expelled if it wasn't for your dad."

"What did you do?" Emma asked.

Sirius shoved his hands in his pockets. He looked skyward for a moment as if unsure how to answer. "Let's just say that I put him in grave danger. It's not my story to tell."

There was more to the story, but Emma doubted that Snape would ever tell her the truth. She quietly mulled it over as they continued walking towards Crochenwraith. Sirius had apparated the pair of them a little ways from the keep, showing her the surrounding area. They were isolated from any muggles and there was a few muggle repellant charms on the area to keep them from wandering too close. It was perfect for Quidditch, although Sirius admitted earlier that some of the enchantments were new and meant to protect Emma from unwanted visitors.

She must have gone too quiet because Sirius ruffled the top of her hair, earning a startled "_Hey!_" from Emma.

"Last one to the keep is a rotting doxy egg," Sirius challenged her, already breaking off at a run.

"Cheat!" Emma said as she darted past him. She had always been small and quick as a child. It made it easier to out run Dudley and his friends. She beat Sirius to the door and smirked at him as he caught up.

"I needed the head start, these old bones don't move as fast as they used to," Sirius joked. "After you, my dear."

With an exaggerated bow, he opened the door and waved her through. They walked through the great hall towards the entrance to the tower. There was a soft hum that grew louder as they approached the end of the great hall. Emma could hear the murmur of voices coming from the drawing room. When Sirius opened the door, Emma felt as if they were interrupting a meeting. Monty was inside with four other people. Her grandfather beamed at her as he welcomed them back.

"Wonderful, you're just in time!"

Emma nodded, glancing around curiously at the other people in the room.

The first was an older wizard who was probably close in age to her grandfather. He was also similar in appearance with the same facial structure and same brown eyes. He had a full moustache that twirled upwards at the tips. His har was fully grey in colour and was neatly sleeked back. If it wasn't for the grey robes instead of a suit, he looked like he could have passed for one of Vernon's business associates.

Next was a middle aged couple on the couch. The woman had dirty blonde hair that was only controlled by the fact that it was pinned at the nape of her neck. A few stubborn strands broke loose around her face, giving her a softer look. She had wrinkles beginning to show at the corners of her eyes; the same warm brown eyes that Monty had. Next to her was a man with light copper hair that was beginning to thin and bright blue eyes. He was smiling warmly at her and Emma found herself smiling back. He reminded her of the Weasleys and she wondered if there was a relation.

The last person was a tall, willowy woman with honey blonde hair and pale blue eyes. She looked like she had walked off the pages of one of Lavender's magazines. She had this soft glow about her and was dressed in a stylish baby blue dress. She was also heavily pregnant. Emma immediately knew that this must be Rhea Black.

There were two stacks of parchment on the table in the middle of the table. Emma was able to sneak a look at them before the red-haired wizard started putting them away. One was entitled _Custody Agreement of Emma Lily Potter._

"Ah yes, Emma, this is my brother, Charlus, my niece, Miranda, and her husband, Calvin. And this is Rhea," Monty introduced. Each of them waved as their name was said.

"Hello," Emma shyly said. She was keenly aware that everyone was paying attention to her and she was not used to so many adults at once. The Dursleys had often shooed her away when they had company over. "I'm Emma."

Sirius sat down on the loveseat next to his wife, casually wrapping an arm around her shoulder. Monty and Charlus were both seated in large armchairs on either side of the fireplace. Emma sat on the empty space on the sofa next to Miranda and Calvin. Miranda smiled warmly at her.

"We'll have to have you over sometime soon," Miranda told her. "So that you and Susan get to know each other a little better. I know it's so hard to get to know students from other houses!"

"Thank you," Emma said. "I'd like that."

There was just under a hundred students in her year. It meant that they only ever had classes with their housemates. Emma had seen Susan occasionally in the library or in-between classes. Emma had also tried to join the Charms Club with Hermione and had seen Susan at the first few meetings. However once Emma made the Quidditch team her practices often overlapped with meetings and she eventually gave it up.

"I think they do that on purpose," Sirius said. "Let you get to know your own house for the first two years and then you get to meet others when you get the third year electives."

"By then they've had two years of bias filling their heads," Miranda said. Her hair bounced as she shook her head. "They really ought to integrate them younger."

"We'll correct that this summer," Calvin jovially added. "Once we have this whole custody issue settled I'll imagine we'll have quite the party to celebrate."

"Calvin was just helping me prepare some paperwork for Monday, he's a solicitor at Brimstone and Bones," Monty explained.

"The custody papers?" Emma asked. Her heart warmed at the thought.

"Yes, we wanted to make sure to dot our t's and cross our i's," Calvin said with a wink. "Once your aunt signs on Monday that's it. You'll be here with your grandfather."

Emma didn't want to get her hopes up, but she was already planning the summer here with Monty and Sirius. They just had to get through a meeting with Aunt Petunia.

"Dumbledore won't be happy - you know he'll try to stop it." Sirius said. "Are you sure there's nothing we can try him for in court? He kidnapped her!"

"Too risky to go to trial," Calvin said. "I don't think it's wise to advertise to the Wizenagmot that Emma's blood protection will wear off once we remove her from her aunt's. The less who have this knowledge the better."

Charlus nodded his head. He leaned forward in his seat and rubbed his hands together. "There's a few still who - while I can't say fore sure that they were his followers, they're certainly sympathetic. I've heard rumours that Abraxas has fallen ill to the Dragon Pox and his son will be taking his seat at the July session. Then there's Corban Yaxley and Boreas Selwyn. Frankly, Dumbledore can pound sand. He has no legal authority to assign a guardian over Emma. I doubt he'll try anything but corner us one by one to try to talk us out of it."

"He tried sending us a letter," Rhea said, sharing a glance with Sirius.

"Yes," Sirius confirmed, "And I chucked it in the rubbish bin where it belonged."

"He stopped by when we were out," Monty confirmed. "Kappa turned him away."

"What is the blood protection?" Emma asked.

Monty cleared his throat. "When your mother died, she sacrificed herself to save you. She loved you so much that her sacrifice created a powerful magical protection anchored by her blood. Dumbledore realized this and placed you with your closest living relatives from Lily's family. So long as you live with them, the blood protection will remain. Moving in with me means that you will give up that protection. Dumbledore is of the opinion that you must not give up the blood protection whereas Sirius and I disagree. That's why he's been keeping us separated, he doesn't want to give you the choice."

"And it is, ultimately, your choice," Sirius told her. "It's the reason why Voldemort couldn't kill you as a baby and again at the end of your first year. It has it's advantages, surely, but I don't think you ever should be in a position where you need it. You're a child, it's our job to protect you. You should get to live a normal life. We figure the blood protection will expire by Halloween if you don't return to the Dursleys. It renews itself so long as you consider the Dursleys home."

It was certainly a lot to ponder over. Emma certainly didn't want to return to the Dursleys, but she worried what would happen without the blood protection. She had survived Voldemort twice thanks to it and in her heart she knew he would come back for her.

But she didn't want to be Emma Potter, The Girl Who Lived. She wanted to be just Emma.

"The Dursleys aren't my home," Emma said at last. She caught Sirius' eye. "Hogwarts is."

Sirius had a ghost of a smile on his lips. He leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms. "So it may fail regardless. Magic is often based on intent rather than legalities."

"What happens if Voldemort comes for me again?" She asked, looking between her grandfather and godfather. "You know he won't leave me alone."

"He won't get close enough," Sirius promised. His grey eyes looked steely and his jaw was set.

"We have come up with plans to ensure that you are safe both here and at school," Monty reassured her. "We wouldn't have considered taking you away from the Dursleys otherwise."

"The blood protection will fail one day - whether it's this summer or when you turn seventeen," Rhea gently added. "For what it's worth, I think you only have so much time to be young. Do what makes you happy."

"Then I would like to stay here," Emma said, looking around.

So it was decided that Calvin would accompany Monty and Emma to the Dursleys. Calvin was dressed in a smart muggle suit and looked like he would blend in with Little Whinging. Monty stuck out with his brightly purple blazer and matching top hat. Emma grinned despite herself, imagining the look on her aunt's face when the three of them showed up on her doorstep.

"What a strange place," Monty casually commented as they walked through Little Whinging. "All the houses are the exact same! Do muggles not like being different?"

"No," Emma responded in a flat voice. "Especially the Dursleys. They hate anything different."

Before long, the three were standing on the front doorstep of Number 4 Privet Drive. It was the plainest of all the houses. Petunia was so desperate to be normal that even her flower choices were the exact same as everyone else. There was not a single statement piece in the garden. Emma gave a cheeky wave at the neighbours from Number 6 as they twisted their heads to get a look at her. She was fairly certain that the Dursleys told everyone that she was away at St Jude's Home for Troubled Girls.

Petunia immediately opened the door. There was a look of distaste as she eyed Monty up and down. "Well then, hurry in. Don't want the neighbours to see you."

The three of them sat on the sofa with Emma squished between Monty and Calvin. There was a plate of scones set out along with a tea tray. Despite despising the company before her, Petunia seemed to fall back on her manners. The tea and scones remained untouched as no one was particularly up for niceties. Emma felt anxious, she had been waiting for this moment her entire life. The moment that she could finally be free of the Dursleys. There was some tension between Petunia and Monty. Calvin's presence was the only calm one.

"I thought it would be best to talk while Vernon was at work," Petunia said. She smoothed her skirt as she sat down primly on the armchair across from them. "I assume you're here to discuss Emma's custody."

Calvin pulled out the custody papers from his briefcase and laid them out on the table. He got right to the point. "If you sign here, Monty will be Emma's guardian. We'll be able to remove her records from your government. It'll be like she was never here, except for those who remember her - it would be too big of a task to erase over a decade of memories of Emma. I imagine you already have a cover story for Hogwarts? It would be easy to expand on it. I could even prepare the documentation to cover for it."

Petunia looked down at the paper with an unreadable expression on her face. "There's some things you need to know first."

Emma's heart froze. She could only imagine what vile things Petunia would say about her to her grandfather. Would she use this chance to try to turn Monty against her? Perhaps Petunia would make him regret his decision to take her. She knew the types of things Petunia would say. That Emma was noisy and disruptive. That she was ungrateful, rude and unladylike. That Emma was a lost cause.

Instead, Emma found herself surprised when Petunia spoke.

"When Dumbledore left her here, there was a note. Lily had sacrificed herself to save Emma, and in doing so, left a _protection_ on her. My taking her would seal it and she would need to continue to live with me until she turned seventeen. I understand that Lily - she got herself into trouble with some of your kind. Vernon and I didn't want to be involved, but Dumbledore said that it was too late. Lily's old friend, that awful boy from Spinner's End, was one of them and knew about me. He would tell his friends that Lily had a sister and they would come after us. The protection would also extend to Dudley and myself. We've had no problems - aside from the girl doing _unordinary_ things - no unwanted visitors until she got the letter from that school."

"What friend?"

"Severus Snape," Petunia said with a sneer. "There was always something off about him - he seemed to think he was better than me because he could do magic. I was terrified of him. I understand he joined a cult that murdered normal people."

The revolution that Petunia knew Professor Snape - and that her mother had once been friends with Professor Snape - was surprising. Emma opened her mouth, wanting to ask more about her mother and Snape but couldn't find the words.

"Interesting." Monty leaned back into his couch. "Snape is a professor at Hogwarts. He works for Dumbledore - who has personally vouched for him on multiple occasions. I'm sure Dumbledore was just frightening you, there's no reason for Snape to give up your identity."

Petunia shook her head, her eyes wide and frightened. "I still can't sign over custody. I've thought it over and while I agree that she'd be better off with your kind - I can't risk not being protected anymore. You people don't care about normal people, but as long as the girl lives here you'll protect us. I received a letter from Dumbledore that there was an incident at the end of the year and the protection was more important than ever."

Emma caught a look pass between Monty and Calvin. This was unexpected.

"If you're worried about your family, we will put new protective enchantments over your home," Calvin offered.

"And you have secrecy on your side," Monty added. "I've had my suspicions that Dumbledore had hidden your family away for some time now. There's no record of Lily Evans beyond that she was a student enrolled at Hogwarts and her academic achievements. There's no records for her parents or address. Even Lily's closest friends couldn't recall where she was from or if she had any siblings."

Petunia was still shaking her head. "I know it's not what any of us want, but Emma benefits from it too. Surely you've considered that. You'll be allowed to take her on weekends and for a few weeks in August. She just has to remain here for most of the summer."

Emma sat up straighter and looked directly at her aunt, although her question was directed at her grandfather. "Do we know if the blood protection still works when I'm away at school? I mean, my mother died to protect _me_ so surely the protection follows me."

"It's hard to say," Monty said, stroking his moustache thoughtfully. Emma could see that he was trying hard not to smile. There was a sparkle in his eyes. "It's not exactly something we could test - everything we know comes from Dumbledore's theories. Well, as long as you're safe I suppose that's all that matters."

Emma could see Petunia bristle that they thought so little of her safety.

"I mean, if I continue to live here naturally I'll tell my friends at school about my life with muggles. They're really curious. Perhaps word will spread, people will start talking - " Emma shrugged.

"There's also the fact that we would be pursuing the matter in court, so it would become public knowledge that Emma grew up here," Calvin added. He did a much better job keeping a straight face than Monty or Emma. "Then the Ministry for Magic would be involved, and I'm sure the reporters would find out - Emma is quite special in our world. Everyone would want to know about her childhood, make sure she was treated all right. They'll probably circle the neighbourhood, try to capture photos. There's some pure-blood zealots though who won't be happy that Emma was raised by muggles. You'll have to watch out for those."

Monty smiled serenely at Petunia. "But of course the blood protection should hold up if anyone truly sinister shows up, like You Know Who."

The silence was deafening. Only the buzz from the kitchen appliances could be heard around them.

"Of course, if you sign custody over today we'll make sure no one in our world knows you exist," Monty reassured her. "And I'll add some protective enchantments over your property."

Petunia's face was white, although her eyes glared back at the three of them. Wordlessly, she picked up the pen and signed the paper.

"Get out of my house," she finally said. "And don't you dare mention my name to anyone in your world again."


End file.
